It was truly a beautiful day for rugby as the Anchors took on the Warriors of Worcester this past Saturday at Lake Park on Lake Quinsigamond. With three matches on the schedule for the day, the Rusty Anchors kicked the festivities off with an excellent showing against the Faded Blacks. Unfortunately, the highly competitive match resulted in a tough loss with Worcester coming out on top, 21-19. Jason Lang was awarded Man of the Match for the Rusty Anchors, turning in a strong performance at the scrum-half position. His dedication and hard work off of the field is truly paying dividends.

At 1:00 p.m., the Anchors A-Side took the field looking to cement their place in Division II. In typical Anchors fashion, a slow start led to an early score from Worcester. However, with the consistent and improved communication from scrum-half Matt O’Connor and fly-half Chris Hirsch, the Anchors were able to get into a rhythm and execute the system that head coach Matt Pomella has implemented. O’Connor played exceptionally well, stepping in at scrummy for Captain Ben Palmer. After the stumble out of the gate, the Anchors were able to control the match for the remaining sixty minutes. There were great performances all around, but in the end the Man of the Match went to Hirsch, who led the Anchors to victory with two tries. Honorable mentions go out to hooker Bobby Maguire for his resilience with ball in hand, as well as Shawn Brennan who flawlessly shifted from wing to 8 man after an injury to a teammate during pregame warm-ups. In the end, the Anchors dominated on offense with a score of 59-24. Excellent work Anchors!

The Anchors B-Side, more affectionately known as the “Killer B’s,” took the field with a controlled aggression that was on display throughout the contest. With many of the A-Side players filling in due to light numbers, the dedication, support, and respect for one another was overwhelming. Again, it was a highly competitive match with many working hard to improve fitness. Unfortunately, the match ended in a 12-12 draw, but there were plenty of highlights and positive aspects to take away from the final match of the day. Man of the match went to Mike Timcoe, whose own fitness is among the best in a group of strong athletes. Timcoe is part of the new infusion of youth for the Anchors as they embark on their quest for a Division II national title.

Moving forward, we can only improve with hard work and dedication. An increase in numbers at practice will only make the season more fun. As we start to become comfortable with one another, we will see a drastic improvement on the field. Luckily for the competition, we are just getting warmed up! Looking forward to seeing everyone at practice!